Abbott accused of 'indecency' over aid cut

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been criticised in front of a high-powered crowd in Washington DC for cutting the nation's foreign aid budget.

Hugh Evans, the Australian founder and chief executive of The Global Poverty Project (GPP), told an audience at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings on Thursday the prime minister "broke his promise" after his election victory.

"He slashed the foreign aid budget dramatically which will have far-reaching consequences for the world's poor," Evans, standing before World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, told the audience.

The New York-based Evans was unapologetic about calling out the Australian prime minister on the international stage and urged world leaders to end extreme poverty by 2030.

"In 2007, after more than a million Australians had joined the movement to end extreme poverty, both major parties promised to increase Australia's foreign budget to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI)," Mr Evans told AAP.

"The treasurer, Joe Hockey, is also at the World Bank today. I hope he's heard our call loud and clear to chart a course in his first budget to increase Australia's overseas aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI.

"As an Australian, I'm proud of the reputation Australia has built for itself on the world stage in recent years through a generous and effective aid program.

"We don't want this single act of political indecency to undo the great work Australia has done to help end extreme poverty."

The panel was held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC and webcast around the globe.